ESPN's Dick Vitale taking break to rest voice on doctor's advice

Vitale announced via an ESPN Front Row piece on Wednesday he's temporarily stepping away from calling games, but the 82-year-old added fans shouldn't be too alarmed. 

Vitale said that Massachusetts General Hospital throat specialist Dr. Steven Zeitels has diagnosed him with "pre-cancerous Dysplasia on the vocal cords" and that he needs to rest his voice until further notice. 

"I’m not sure exactly how long I will be off the air as a result of this or how many games I will miss," Vitale explained while noting he is "cured from melanoma" and that doctors "are making fantastic progress in my battle with lymphoma." He is set to resume chemotherapy treatments on Thursday. 

"Dr. Zeitels wants to see me every couple weeks in the New Year to check on my progress," Vitale said about his absences. "Of course, I am heartbroken that I won’t be immediately sitting courtside doing what I love, yet I’m in this for the long run. I plan to do games when I’m 100 – I need to listen to Dr. Z!" 

Vitale also said he made this announcement to assure fans he hadn't experienced a setback related to his cancer recovery.